[Footnote99:TheirregularordinationofAthanasiuswasslightlymentionedinthecouncilswhichwereheldagainsthim。SeePhilostorg。l。ii。c。11，andGodefroy，p。71；butitcanscarcelybesupposedthattheassemblyofthebishopsofEgyptwouldsolemnlyattestapublicfalsehood。Athanas。tom。i。p。
726。]
[Footnote100:SeethehistoryoftheFathersoftheDesert，publishedbyRosweide；andTillemont，Mem。Eccles。tom。vii。，inthelivesofAntony，Pachomius，&c。Athanasiushimself，whodidnotdisdaintocomposethelifeofhisfriendAntony，hascarefullyobservedhowoftentheholymonkdeploredandprophesiedthemischiefsoftheArianheresyAthanas。tom。ii。p。
492，498，&c。]
Inhisyouth，theprimateofEgyptresistedthegreatConstantine，whohadrepeatedlysignifiedhiswill，thatAriusshouldberestoredtotheCatholiccommunion。^101Theemperorrespected，andmightforgive，thisinflexibleresolution；andthefactionwhoconsideredAthanasiusastheirmostformidableenemy，wasconstrainedtodissembletheirhatred，andsilentlytoprepareanindirectanddistantassault。Theyscatteredrumorsandsuspicions，representedthearchbishopasaproudandoppressivetyrant，andboldlyaccusedhimofviolatingthetreatywhichhadbeenratifiedintheNicenecouncil，withtheschismaticfollowersofMeletius。^102Athanasiushadopenlydisapprovedthatignominiouspeace，andtheemperorwasdisposedtobelievethathehadabusedhisecclesiasticalandcivilpower，toprosecutethoseodioussectaries:thathehadsacrilegiouslybrokenachaliceinoneoftheirchurchesofMareotis；thathehadwhippedorimprisonedsixoftheirbishops；andthatArsenius，aseventhbishopofthesameparty，hadbeenmurdered，oratleastmutilated，bythecruelhandoftheprimate。^103